Thinking outside the quilt block

Every year, I take mom and my daughter Alessia for our annual visit to the QUILTS at the Creek, an exhibition of wonderful quilts put on by a group of dedicated quilters, spearheaded by Val Prideaux. Most quilts are supplied by members of several guilds including – York Heritage, Etobicoke, Yorkshire Rose, Mississauga, Durham. In addition, quilts were supplied by Quilts of Valour and the community quilters of the guilds.

It’s held at the Black Creek Pioneer Village – an open-air heritage museum in Toronto preserving the pioneer way of life. Houses, farms, artifacts and the pioneer lifestyle are brought to life. When the QUILTS at the Creek exhibit is on, the real life museum takes on a greater flair! The quilts are made by members of the CQA and hung along the roads, walk ways, fences and outsides the homes, churches and buildings. Like stepping in a different time and space with the added bonus of letting ourselves be inspired.

This Sunday mom and I didn’t get to quilt. Instead we took the opportunity to take the ‘day off’ and still do some ‘mental quilting’ – which I often refer to when talking about being inspired by the very gorgeous work of other quilters, admiring their skill and creativity.

This post will reflect a fraction of the quilts we saw there and my thoughts on the details of these quilts that really inspired us to think outside the quilt block.

QUILTS at the Creek Art Exhibit

Before I start however, I’d like mention that it was a sweltering day in the sun. The temperatures have been hitting record highs almost all summer and I didn’t get the strength to take down the names of the quilters. If you’re interested in a particular quilt, you need to contact the CQA for more information.

Needless to say all quilts exhibited there were extraordinary.

One of the first one that caught my eye is an art quilt, and I’m not over how random pieces of fabric are sewn together to create an artful image.

I’m always baffled by art quilts.

The next quilt is a picture of George Michael, you know the gorgeous singer we all love. If you’re very close to it, you can’t tell what’s what, but step away, the further the better, the image becomes clear! Go ahead – step away, far away, from the screen…

George Michael, he’s even gorgeous on a modern quilt!

A wedding quilt made up of simple blocks, but the white blocks have written sentiments of friends and family that will keep this lucky couple wrapped in love always! How romantic.

Special messages can be written on fabric blocks and kept as a family keepsake.

A star within a star within a star…

The dark and light colors in this scrappy quilt are in perfect balance.

Traditional applique quilt – this would take me 10 years to make – just saying.

Cotton and wool quilt. The applique is done using felted wool on a cotton background. Express yourself whenever possible on your quilt!

Sure enough, as mom and I are making our baby quilts, here are a boy and girl quilts! One is more traditional the other is modern. I’d like to try a modern quilt some day.

Cut out pieces of printed fabric and image embossed by quilting and following the outline of the image.

Quilters at work over a frame, and mom supervising them. : ))

This is a fascinating concept where every block has a different form of needlework all unified on this quilt! That would be my daughter peeking from the right side of the quilt.

I had to take a picture with this super husband and wife team of Stitch Please Hand Dyed Yarn. Michelle and Paul Nguyen make the most yummy yarn ever! Michelle is a KNITmuch.com blogger!

This one fascinated me most as in how these envelopes were made, plus there’s a script fabric in the quilt so automatically I go gaga. Great concept.

The beauty about modern quilts is that I perceive them as being more ‘quiet’ than the more traditional quilts. Perhaps it’s the abundance of negative space.

QUILTS at the Creek.

Quilter Nancy Kinsman, a member of the Canadian Quilters’ Association, demonstrating hand quilting. I’d be smiling too if I had spent my whole day quilting! Lovely and talented lady.

QUILTS at the Creek 2016 art exhibit

Great use of machine embroidery applied to the fabric before it’s cut into squares and sewn into quilt blocks!

The temperature was so hot even the sheep, pigs, and roosters were in their barns, and I only captured 1 rooster in the shade.

I hope you enjoyed exploring the different ways to make a quilt block and really our imagination is the limit. Needless to say the rest of the quilts there were equally as stunning!

Explore all the quilting thoughts that walk across your mind and run with them!

See you next Sunday QUILTing, I’ll have pictures of the finished baby quilts as mom and I work double time to get them finished for the deadline!

The Quilts at the Creek are not put on by the Canadian Quilter Association but by a group of dedicated quilters, spearheaded by Val Prideaux. Most quilts are supplied by Members of severa guilds including – York Heritage, Etobicoke, Yorkshire Rose, Mississauga, Durham. In addition, quilts were supplied by Quilts of valour and the community quilters of the guilds.